Collapsible load spacer support

ABSTRACT

A support formed of wire bent to define an elongated loop having overlapping and relatively slidable side portions releasably secured together and adapted to be assembled in embracing relation to the cell walls of an expandable honeycomb load spacer to suspend the same between a load of articles and an adjacent surface.

United States Patent [72] lnventor RobertLKauffman [50] FieldofSearch105/367,

Plymouth. Mich. 857,483

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,405,659 10/1968 Appl. No. FiledSept. 12, 1969 [45] Patented June1,l97l

Assignee Narad,1nc.

Primary Examiner-Drayton E. Hoffman Attorney-Bacon and Thomas Wayne.Mich.

ABSTRACT: A support formed of wire bent to define an elongated loophaving overlapping and relatively slidable side portions releasablysecured together and adapted to be assembled in embracing relation tothe cell walls of an expandable honeycomb load spacer to suspend thesame between a load of articles and an adjacent surface.

m 3B5 .54 OWd 1 l m T R m m w H R m m E m m C H n A m m D- l U m m m mmm m m m Am L an e c 0C 5 L C4U .m H U U 5 5 Br COLLAPSIBLE LOAD SPACERSUPPORT CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This invention is animprovement on the invention disclosed in the copending application ofRonald D. Hees, Ser. No. 747,988, filed July 26, 1968, and in the patentto Hees, 3,405,659,issued Oct. 15, 1968.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to load spacers forfilling void spaces between articles of freight, and particularly tomeans for suspending such spacers in place.

Suspended load spacers of the type contemplated here are fully describedin the copending application and the patent noted above. 'In' thecopending application, however, the means for suspending the expandablehoneycomb structure between stacks of articles employs an elongated basemember secured to the top sheet of the honeycomb structure when thelatter is in a collapsed condition. When the spacer is put in place andpermitted to expand vertically downwardly, it necessarily follows thatthe individual cells of this structure must contract horizontally.However, the elongated base member to which the suspending means areattached prevented horizontal contraction and vertical expansion of theupper cells of the structure and thus some of the material of the spacerwas, in effect, wasted. The structure disclosed in the patent referredto involved the provision of means for use with horizontally expandableload spacers for engaging the sides of adjacent stacks of articles andcontemplated the provision of a sheet material adhered to the honeycombstructure to extend laterally therefrom and engage the sides of thestacks of articles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprises a separablymeans for holding expandable honeycomb structures either in suspendedposition between stacks of freight articles or in horizontally extendedposition between the same and comprises adjustable and separable meansengageable selectively with individual cells of the honeycomb structure,whereby no restraint is placed on expansion of the cells in anydirection and the hold ing means are reusable and separately storable.

In general, a pair of generally U-shaped wire structures are providedarranged with their legs extending toward each other in overlappedrelation and the free end of each leg being provided with a means forreleasably and slidably connecting it to an intermediate portion of theleg it overlaps. Thus, the structures may be inserted from oppositesides of a honeycomb structure and have their leg ends then engaged andcan be telescopically extended so that the engaging means abut oppositesides of the honeycomb structure to prevent shifting and to providesupport for the expanded spacer, whether the same is expanded in avertical or horizontal direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a freightcontainer having stacks of articles therein with one form of the presentinvention shown in place;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevational view taken on the section line 2-2 ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the load spacersupports shown assembled to an expandable honeycomb structure; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternative form of spacer support.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring first to FIG. 1,numeral 2 indicates the sidewalls of a freight container, which may be arailway freight Ear, truck body, or the like. In the container arepositioned stacks 4 and 6 of discrete articles 8 of freight. The stacksdo not completely fill the container 2 but define therebetween agenerally planar space 10. An expandable honeycomb structure I2 ispositioned in that space with the sheet material thereof extendingtransversely across the space into abutment with the adjacent faces ofthe stacks 4 and 6, thus preventing undue shifting of the load ofarticles during transportation of the container 2. The expandablehoneycomb structure 12 is of well-known form, comprising strips 14 ofcorrugated paper board, stacked in superimposed relation and adhered toadjacent strips at staggered and spaced positions 16 so that when thestack is expanded, it forms a multiplicity of individual cells 18 in awell-known manner. It is often desirable to arrange the honeycombstructure between the stacks of articles so that it can expanddownwardly therebetween under the influence of gravity. This permits thespacer structure to be automatically self-adjusting for the heights ofthe stacks of articles. However, it is necessary to support the upperedge of the spacer in some manner.

As shown, support means 20 are provided, a preferred form of which isshown in greater detail in FIG. 3. Each support means 20 comprises apair of generally U-shaped wire members, each having a bight portion 22and spaced parallel legs 24. The members are arranged with their bightportions 22 at opposite ends of the support means and with their legs 24in spaced overlapping relationship. The free end of each leg 24 is bentto define a laterally extending hook 26 of such configuration that itmay be readily engaged with or disengaged from an adjacent leg 24, allas clearly shown in FIG. 3. Obviously, the U-shaped members may beseparated and stacked or stored in compact arrangement occupying verylittle space. When it is desired to install a spacer and to effectsupport thereof by the support means 20, one of the U-shaped members ispositioned with its legs 24 extending through an upper cell 18, beneaththe upper wall 28 thereof. The other U-shaped member is then placed in aposition with its legs 24 extending over that wall 28 and the hook endsof all the legs are then engaged over intermediate portions of thecorresponding legs of the other member. Generally, the initialengagement of the members will be with them in the positions indicatedby dotted line in FIG. 3 whereupon the bight portions may be mutuallypulled outwardly to cause the hooks 26 to slide along the legs withwhich they are engaged until they abut opposite edges of the top wall28. The sire support means are sufficiently resilient to be frictionallyheld in the described position, as shown in FIG. 1, and at least thebight portions 22 are positioned laterally outwardly of the spacer 12 inposition to rest on the tops of the articles 8 and thus support thespacer in the desired position. Clearly, the support means may bepositioned in any desired cells 18 and as many supportmeans as aredeemed necessary may be applied to each load spacer structure, dependingon its horizontal length.

The slidable relationship of the U-shaped members also permits their usewith spacers 12 of many different widths.

FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment wherein a generally U-shaped wiremember 30 is provided with an elongated bight portion 32 and widelyseparated legs 34. The legs 34 are sufficiently widely separated toextend through or engage with widely separated cells 18. In fact, thebight portion 32 may be of sufficient length so that the legs 34 engagethe end cells at the top of the spacer structure. Preferably, a thirdleg 36 is secured to the bight portion 32 centrally located between thelegs 34 to be engaged with and support an intermediate cell of thehoneycomb structure. Alternatively, the intermediate leg 36 need not besecured to the bight portion 32 but may be in the form of a singleelongated rod or wire to be passed through an intermediate cell andpositioned with its ends merely resting on the bight portion 32 and itwould thus provide adequate support for the intermediate cell mentioned.

As will be obvious, the form shown in FIG. 4 contemplates a secondidentical structure to be engaged therewith in the same manner asdescribed with reference to FIG. 3.

While the description herein has been limited to a support means forholding only the top edge of a honeycomb structure in suspended relationbetween stacks of freight articles, it is obvious that the same devicesmay be employed to engage opposite side edges of adjacent stacks when itis desired to position the honeycomb structure in a horizontallyexpandable attitude, as basically described in US. Pat. No. 3,405,659,previously identified The description herein specifically describes onlysupport means made of wire but obviously other materials may be used andthe different portions may be assembled from separate elements ratherthan being integral, as described.

While a limited number of specific embodiments of the invention havebeen shown herein, the same are merely illustrative of the principlesinvolved and other specific forms may be employed.

1 claim:

1. The combination comprising: a freight container; a plurality ofdiscrete articles of freight in said container, said articles beingarranged in at least two adjacent stacks of articles with a generallyplanar space therebetween bounded on opposite sides by said articles; anexpandable honeycomb structure of sheet material substantially fillingsaid space with the sheet material thereof extending transversely acrosssaid space, said honeycomb structure defining a multiplicity ofopen-sided cells and being expandable and contractable along said space;and support means supporting at least one edge of said honeycombstructure adjacent a corresponding edge of said space defined by saidadjacent stacks, said support means comprising a pair of generallyU-shaped members having spaced generally parallel legs extendinglaterally from a bight portion, said members being superimposed withtheir bight portions at opposite ends of said support means and witheach of the legs of one member overlapping a corresponding leg of theother member, one leg of each overlapped pair passing through a cell ofsaid honeycomb structure with its free end releasably secured to theother leg, on one side of said honeycomb structure, said other legextending across said honeycomb structure outside said cell and havingits free end releasably secured to said one leg on the other side ofsaid honeycomb structure, at least portions of said support means onopposite sides of said honeycomb structure engaging outer faces of saidadjacent stacks.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said free ends of saidlegs are releasably and slidably secured to the said other legs wherebysaid support means is extensible and contractable in a directiontransverse to said generally planar space.

3. The combination defined in claim 2 wherein said support means isformed of elongated rodlike elements; said free ends being formed todefine laterally extending hook portions adapted to releasably andslidably embrace said other legs.

4. The combination defined in claim 1 including a third leg extendingfrom each bight portion between and spaced from said pair of legs, saidlegs being spaced apart sufficiently to engage different cells of saidhoneycomb structure.

1. The combination comprising: a freight container; a plurality ofdiscrete articles of freight in said container, said articles beingarranged in at least two adjacent stacks of articles with a generallyplanar space therebetween bounded on opposite sides by said articles; anexpandable honeycomb structure of sheet material substantially fillingsaid space with the sheet material thereof extending transversely acrosssaid space, said honeycomb structure defining a multiplicity ofopen-sided cells and being expandable and contractable along said space;and support means supporting at least one edge of said honeycombstructure adjacent a corresponding edge of said space defined by saidadjacent stacks, said support means comprising a pair of generallyUshaped members having spaced generally parallel legs extendinglaterally from a bight portion, said members being superimposed withtheir bight portions at opposite ends of said support means and witheach of the legs of one member overlapping a corresponding leg of theother member, one leg of each overlapped pair passing through a cell ofsaid honeycomb structure with its free end releasably secured to theother leg, on one side of said honeycomb structure, said other legextending across said honeycomb structure outside said cell and havingits free end releasably secured to said one leg on the other side ofsaid honeycomb structure, at least portions of said support means onopposite sides of said honeycomb structure engaging outer faces of saidadjacent stacks.
 2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said freeends of said legs are releasably and slidably secured to the said otherlegs whereby said support means is extensible and contractable in adirection transverse to said generally planar space.
 3. The combinationdefined in claim 2 wherein said support means is formed of elongatedrodlike elements; said free ends being formed to define laterallyextending hook portions adapted to releasably and slidably embrace saidother legs.
 4. The combination defined in claim 1 including a third legextending from each bight portion between and spaced from said pair oflegs, said legs being spaced apart sufficiently to engage differentcells of said honeycomb structure.